


yellow

by foga



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hanahaki Disease, Sort Of, Unrequited Love, brotp excellence really, convenient use of canon, josie being josie, lol i still don't know if this counts as angst, mg and hope not having it, penelope being resigned, someone help me figure it out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-07 16:23:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17963981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foga/pseuds/foga
Summary: But then she starts coughing up petals.And that’s how she knows that Josie doesn't love her anymore.(or, Hanahaki Disease AU)





	yellow

**Author's Note:**

> hey, guys! how's it going?
> 
> quick author's note: this has been practically finished and sitting in my drafts since December so things here may be a bit different from canon (josie's development, the posie situation, etc.) because I was too lazy to change the whole story. I basically just added a few things to finish this off and that was it. lol sorry. Anyway I decided to post this because well, why not?
> 
> this is partially inspired by a trimberly fic that I read a while ago, so if you're a fan of trimberly I totally recommend going to read that because it's amazing!
> 
> also for those who don't know Hanahaki is a fictional disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings, or when the victim dies. Obviously I took a few liberties aka using it to my convenience...but anyway
> 
> enjoy!
> 
> ps: as always, all mistakes are my own.

Penelope knew what the consequences of breaking up with Josie were. They raked her brain for days before she decided to end their relationship. She knew that the breakup would hurt Josie, Josie would hate her, rumors would be started, and she also knew that there was a possibility that she was letting go of Josie forever.

She also knew that Josie loved her, there’s no way she didn’t considering the way she reacted when Penelope broke it off. That gives Penelope hope that maybe one day they may be able to get back together. When they’re both ready.

But then she starts coughing up petals.

And that’s how she knows that Josie doesn't love her anymore.

//

The first petal comes on a Monday during class.

“Penelope,” she hears Mr. Williams say from the front of the room, but Penelope can’t take her eyes off the small yellow petal that is now on her desk. “Please, demonstrate.”

Penelope raises her eyes, blinking slowly and feeling a slight tingle in her throat. She clears her throat, uttering the spell and doing the hand movements as best as she can with her tongue heavy and numb in her mouth.

She watches the dead flowers— _oh, the irony_ —start getting their color back.

“Great job,” he says, turning back to the class and continuing his lecture.

Penelope takes a deep breath and forces herself to pay attention, subtly taking the petal in her hand and putting it in her pocket.

//

The cough starts two days later, it’s painful, making her feel like the breath is being strangled out of her and starts making her lose sleep.

The petals start making regular appearances during the night and that makes it easier to flush them down the toilet. The ones that pop up during the day are few enough that Penelope can shove them in her pocket or burn them without being noticed. There’s not blood, yet, and for that she’s grateful.

But it’s seriously starting to get on her nerves. It’s annoying having to cough up petals at random times during the day.

And to think that she used to thinks flowers were beautiful. She remembers Josie giving her a bouquet for her birthday last year. She remembers giving one to Josie on their first date. The smile she had gotten in return was beautiful.

But Josie doesn't smile at her anymore, only frowns or glares and there's nothing beautiful about that. There’s nothing beautiful about coughing up _fucking_ flowers every single day, nothing beautiful about feeling like the air is being stolen from your lungs, and there is definitely nothing beautiful about knowing that the person you love doesn't love you anymore.

“Hey Peez, that cough still bothering you?” MG asks, taking a seat next to her in the cafeteria, concern on his features. She’s had three coughing fits since she sat down for lunch, but thankfully no petals came out. She feels eyes on her, but shrugs them off. Yes, she's sick, get over it.

“It’s just a really bad bug,” she lies, giving MG a smile. He doesn’t seem to buy it completely and when it seems he’s going to keep insisting she changes the topic.

“How’s that new comic book treating you?” she asks, praising herself when MG starts talking a mile a minute about his new favorite superhero.

//

Penelope’s making her way to her room after class when she can feel the familiar tingle coming up her throat. Somehow it feels like it’s coming ten times stronger and she all but rushes down the hall.

She doesn’t stop until she’s finally in the bathroom filling the sink with yellow petals and blood.

It’s getting _worse_.

Penelope’s in the middle of cleaning the blood from the sink, the smoke of the burnt petals still lingering in the room when the door creaks open and Penelope turns to see Josie stepping through with a look that carries many expressions at once. Penelope subtly wraps the paper towel in her hand, already used to the way her stomach fills with butterflies when their eyes make contact.

“What are you doing?” Josie asks, looking suspiciously from the remains of the smoke to Penelope’s closed hand.

Penelope swallows down a petal that she can already feel making its annoying way up her throat.

“I’m using the bathroom,” she says, clearing her throat and letting her eyes dart across Josie’s face. She’s been avoiding her like the plague lately, avoided talking to her, even looking at her, and fuck, it's proven to be a challenge and it _hurts_. It hurts that Josie doesn't seem to care.

“Cut the crap, Penelope,” Josie says, glaring at her. “I can see the smoke and your hand is hiding something.”

_Yeah, a paper towel stained with my blood._

Once again, Penelope clears her throat and chokes back her cough. She can practically taste the petals on her tongue and if she opens her mouth, she’ll just empty a handful of petals at Josie’s feet. Instead she just raises an eyebrow, as to say, ‘You do it, too’, the message seems to be clear because Josie averts her eyes, a slight blushing covering her cheeks.

“At least have the decency to do it in your room,” Josie says, sending her one last glare before turning around and leaving, without so much as a glance back.

Penelope watches her go.

And as soon as the door is closed, she is back to coughing up yellow petals and blood on the sink.

//

After the bathroom incident, Penelope confines herself to her room. Only going out for classes, mandatory assemblies and sometimes meals—she’s gotten pretty good at sneaking into the kitchen.

She avoids the library, always managing to make MG go get the books she needs. She avoids Josie and Lizzie in equal measure—which isn’t hard considering they’re attached to the hip—and the few times that she’s run into them she’s only smirked or winked their way then walked away.

Josie starts looking at her with worry, confusion and suspicion, and Penelope feels _that_ annoying feeling in her throat start to intensify.

She takes immediate action, risks being discovered by bothering Lizzie for a day until there’s no more worry in Josie’s eyes when she looks Penelope’s way.

She misses one game, two parties and even the annual talent show but she’s too busy vomiting to really care.

She doesn't really like extracurricular activities anyway.

//

But as it turns out, it wasn’t only Josie’s worry that she had to be concerned about.

She wakes up with a fever that makes her feel like she’s on fire and freezing at the same time. She feels no air reaching her lungs. She can’t _breathe_. Fuck. She rolls out of bed as best as she can, reaches for the trashcan and vomits. She vomits petals, blood, and more petals. A burning fire taking over her chest.

She huddles up in a corner of her room with her trashcan on one side and a roll of toilet paper on the other, opting to not leave her room at all.

That’s how Hope finds her.

To be honest, Penelope is pretty damn proud of herself for being able to keep this a secret for so long. But, of course, Hope’s the first to find out—after they saved Josie, they grew close, until the cough started, and Penelope started avoiding her.

She helps Penelope up and carefully places her on the bed, retrieving to the bathroom only to come back with a wet cloth that she proceeds to place on Penelope’s forehead.

“Didn’t take you for a nurse, Mikaelson,” Penelope says, it comes out weak and Hope’s frown deepens.

She doesn’t ask her who it is, but she has a yellow petal in the hand that isn’t holding Penelope’s. It’s pretty obvious anyways, it’s not like it’s a secret that she’s still madly in love with Josie Saltzman. It seems that the only person who doesn’t know is Josie herself.

Not that it matters. It won't change anything.

Penelope feels the need to say something, anything really, but the petals won’t stop coming. All she can do is throw up petals covered in blood.

Her breathing starts to go back to normal after a few minutes, and she only becomes aware of the blood on her lips when Hope’s hand softly cleans it.

“How bad is it?” Hope asks, looking from the petals to Penelope’s face.

“As bad as it looks,” Penelope answers honestly.

“The nurse—”

“Won’t help.” It’s not that kind of a disease, after all. There’s no cure for unrequited love.

Hope insists anyway. “She might. At least something to slow it down.”

“Fine,” Penelope relents, too tired to fight.

Hope practically carries her to the nurse’s office.

//

The nurse’s no help, just like Penelope said.

“Hanahaki disease,” the nurse says, as if they don’t fucking know that already. “You're in love.”

_Yeah, no shit._

“We already knew that,” Hope snaps, grabbing a tissue and wiping the blood from Penelope’s chin. “Can you give her anything for it?”

“I can give her something for the pain, it might help a bit,” she tells them with a frown. “Have you tried talking to whoever it is, maybe—”

“No, not happening.” Penelope coughs, and more yellow petals fall to the floor.

“Or,” the nurse begins cautiously, taking a closer look at a petal she picked up form the floor. “You can have the surgery.”

Penelope shakes her head furiously. “Yeah, no, that’s not happening either.”

She’s not going to have a surgery that’s going to take away all her feelings for Josie. It’s not going to take away just the love, it’s going to take away the admiration, the comfort, the interest, until she feels _nothing_ , absolutely nothing for Josie. She isn’t going to do that. She loves her too much to do that.

Just thinking about Josie has her coughing up more petals.

“There is really nothing you can do?” Hope asks, glaring at the nurse like it's her fault that Penelope's sick.

“This is all the information I have,” the nurse sighs. “I highly recommend telling this person…”

“I already said no,” Penelope cuts in. “That’s not happening.”

The nurse sighs again. “You know what will happen if—”

“We know,” Hope interjects, arms crossed and jaw set.

//

Every once in a while, they are given a day to go into town, and even though the last thing Penelope wants to do is go out, Hope drags her to Mystic Falls, insisting that getting out will do her some good. Penelope tries to tell her that she could literally start puking petals at any second, but Hope promises that she has it covered.

It doesn’t start off as bad as Penelope expects, she actually manages to get through getting a coffee and a walk around the town square before something happens. One minute she is laughing, enjoying herself for the first time in a while, the next she’s seeing wolf-boy fucking _kiss_ Josie and running off to the nearest tree, heaving out petals, the pain making her fall to her knees.

She tries telling her body to stop, but it doesn't seem to listen. No matter how much she tries, she can't _stop_.

“What the hell?”

Penelope recognizes that voice. It’s MG.

“Are those _petals_?”

“We’ll tell you everything later, just get her somewhere no one can see her.”

“But—”

 _“_ Damn it, MG. Do it. _Now._ ”

She feels herself get carried and rushed away, feeling cold as the wind hits her sweating body. She’s placed on the ground and she can breathe after what feels like forever and her stomach and throat have stopped hurting. Her eyes being to flutter, she can hear MG telling her something but as hard as she tries to concentrate it just sounds like incoherent words.

Penelope feels herself passing out. She tries to think of something beautiful, just in case it’s the last thing she sees, and the only thing that comes to her mind is Josie’s smile—the one that hasn’t been directed at her in a while.

And that sight makes her finally let herself give into the darkness.

//

Penelope blinks her eyes open to see one worried face leaning over her as she lays sprawled on the floor. Her chest hurts, she closes her eyes for a second and reaches a hand up to her throat that feels dry.

“You were out for a couple of minutes,” Hope says, her mouth pinched.

“I needed a nap,” she says, voice raspy, sitting up and taking the offered water bottled.

“You’re not funny.”

“I’m hilarious, and you know it.”

Hope rolls her eyes, helping her move so her back is against the cool brick wall then taking a seat beside her. “You really scared me, Pen.”

Penelope swallows. “Thanks for having my back.”

“Thanks for letting me be here for you.”

“Your welcome,” Penelope says, smiling slightly. “Although I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?”

Hope smiles, shaking her head. “No, you definitely didn’t.”

The door bursts open and MG walks in, looking both determined and angry.

“What’s got you in a mood?” Penelope asks, taking a sip of her water bottle.

“You,” MG says, waging a finger in her direction. “That’s who.”

“I—”

“I knew it wasn’t just a _cough_ and I let you get away with it,” he gives her a look. “But not this time, you are going to tell me what is going on and you are going to tell me now.”

“MG—”

“I’m serious, Hope,” he says, and Penelope has never seen him so upset. “She _fainted_ and was vomiting _petals_. That’s some crazy shit, so no more beating around the bush. Tell me.”

//

“There must be something—,” MG starts, looking frantically between Hope and Penelope. They’ve filled him on the basics: Hanahaki Disease, throwing up petals, unrequited love, surgery not an option, no other viable solution. “We need to do something. Maybe Jo—,” he tries again and they both glare at him making him stop talking. He huffs and drops down next to them.

“I could give you my blood then you would come back?” he tries, doubtfully. His voice is tight, like he’s trying not to cry. They all know it’s an idea that Penelope would never agree with. She’s a witch and witches believe in the natural order of things, if this is how she has to go then so be it. Her magic is a part of her, the only thing that she feels connects her to her family. Losing her magic isn’t an option just as much as having no feelings for Josie isn’t one either. She’d rather die first, which is what _will_ happen first.

Penelope just shakes her head and MG sighs. “There’s nothing you can do.”

MG shakes his head. “No. I’m not accepting that.”

“MG—” Hope starts, placing a hand on his knee.

“No, Hope,” he says, sternly. “This isn’t fair. It’s not fair that she’s allowing herself to die over this. It’s not fair that she’s _willingly_ letting herself die.”

“What you’re saying isn’t fair, MG,” Hope scolds.

MG ignores Hope and looks directly at Penelope. “I never took you for a quitter, Penelope.”

He’s up and gone before Penelope can even call after him.

//

Penelope isn’t surprised when she finds MG at her door a day later. He’s got a guilty smile on his face and a plate of chocolate chip cookies in his hands.

“I know I was rude yesterday,” he starts, holding out the plate.

Penelope nods. “Yeah, you were a world-class jerk.”

“There’s a reason for that,” he insists.

“I’m listening.”

He sighs. “I saw you puking blood and I felt helpless. You’re one of my closest friends, Peez. I don’t like seeing you suffer.”

Penelope softens, taking the offered plate and opening the door wider for him to come in. She doesn’t know what to say to that, she can’t give MG false hope, but she doesn’t want him to think that she doesn’t care.

“I…”

MG takes a seat on the bed. “I know, you don’t have to say it.”

Penelope nods, joining him on the bed and taking a cookie. She hopes it doesn’t taste like iron.

“You look…good,” he says, after a few moments of silence.

“Nice, MG, for a moment I almost believed you.”

“I’m just trying to make conversation!” MG defends. “You’ve just been so absent lately. I’ve missed hanging out.”

“I’m sorry,” Penelope says. “I just prefer to puke my guts out in private.”

MG winces and shakes his head. “I wish I could just fix this.”

“It’s fine, MG,” she reassures, crossing her legs. “I’ve been doing fine the last few days.”

“Penelope, this isn’t something you can ignore. This is dangerous.”

“I’m not ignoring it, I already told you the solution.”

“That is not a viable solution!” he cries. “There has to be another way. Maybe—”

“Can we not?” she asks, giving him a pleading look.

He sighs but relents and they spend the rest of the day talking about anything that isn’t related to petals.

//

MG makes it his mission to act like her personal bodyguard and butler. Penelope doesn’t know if she should feel annoyed or not.

When she dated Josie, their dynamic was more or less her taking care of Josie because it seemed that the girl didn’t know how to care for herself. And Penelope was fine with it until she wasn’t. So, yeah, she’s used to taking care of herself and of other people, she’s been doing it since her parents died. But she isn’t used to someone taking care of her.

She’s never been one to have friends, she has classmates, companions, girls that she used to hang out with just to pass the time. Then came MG with his nerd-references and good heart and Penelope couldn’t seem to get rid of him. He was only supposed to be a pawn in her game to get Josie to be more independent. But Penelope wasn’t heartless and once she noticed that him dating Lizzie was only going to get him hurt, she immediately stopped trying to get them together. And that was supposed to be the end of it but MG was persistent. He didn’t ask her to be her friend, he just became it. He knows that she loves chocolate chip cookies, where she goes to smoke and that her parents dying was the reason she came to this school. Then came Hope with her fierce protectiveness and wit that gives Penelope’s own a run for her money. She knows that Penelope hates heights and that she sucks at History of Magic. They’ve become friends—the Avengers Squad as Hope likes to call it.

It's something she’s not used to, but she’s isn’t opposed to it either.

“MG, what are you doing here?” He has two blankets and a pillow in his arms.

“I’m sleeping here,” he says, firmly.

Penelope fights the urge to close the door in his face. “No, you are not.”

“If you don’t let me sleep here, I’m going to sleep in the hallway and then I’ll have to explain to Josie why I was sleeping outside your door and you know I’m horrible at lying to the twins.”

Penelope sighs, opening the door wider for him to walk inside.

//

Not every day is bad, there are days where Penelope almost feels like herself. Days when Josie is the last thing on her mind and she can let herself get lost in a book. Days where it doesn’t hurt to breathe, and her chest doesn’t feel like it’s on fire.

She gets so lost in her book that she misses dinner. It’s the first time in a few days that she thinks she might be able to eat something and not taste iron and petals. So, she ends up making her way into the kitchen.

Josie is there.

Of course, she is.

Her hair is up in a ponytail and her eyes are fixed on the glass of milk in front of her. Penelope suddenly remembers all the times they would sneak into the kitchen for late night snacks, giggling like crazy, trying to be as quiet as possible. She can almost hear Josie’s quiet laugh. Penelope’s chest hurts, and it has nothing to do with her petal situation.

Josie looks up, as if sensing Penelope’s presence. Penelope lets herself make eye contact with Josie briefly. She’s missed her eyes.

“Can’t sleep, JoJo?” she asks, walking to the fridge. When Josie doesn’t say anything, Penelope turns to look at her. “Josie? Are you okay?”

Josie gives her a confused look, taking a sip of her glass before shaking her head. “Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

She looks calm, but Penelope knows her better than that. Her shoulders are tense and there’s both worry and anger in her eyes. She takes a deep breath and returns her attention to the fridge, looking for something to eat.

“Penelope,” Josie says, and Penelope closes her eyes in pain. There’s that ache in her chest again. Josie says her name in a way that just makes Penelope _feel_ too many things at once.

Penelope closes the fridge door and when she turns around Josie is standing right in front of her, her brows furrowed, lips pressed together.

She’s about to ask Josie if everything’s alright, but she beats her to it. “Is everything okay? Are you—are you okay?” she asks, looking at something on Penelope’s shirt.

That’s when Penelope notices that there’s a bit of blood on her shirt and panic starts to settler in her chest. She can’t believe she didn’t notice before leaving her room.

_Shit._

Josie _can’t_ find out.

She tries to say something but makes the mistake of looking into Josie’s eyes. They are full of concern and anger, but deep down there is warm emotion that makes that familiar feeling start clawing at her throat once again.

And this isn’t fucking fair. Josie can’t fucking look at her like this. Josie can’t just look at her like this one moment and kiss wolf-boy the next. It’s _not_ fair.

Penelope feels anger starting to form in the pit of her stomach. At herself, at the emotion in Josie’s eyes, at Josie and at fucking wolf-boy, and she is fucking angry at whoever decided that puking fucking petals was a good way of being told that the love of your life doesn’t love you back.

“Didn’t know you cared, Josie,” Penelope ends up saying, trying to keep the petals at bay. Her tone comes out harsher than she intended, probably harsher than Josie has ever heard her.

Fuck.

Josie takes a step back, taken aback by her tone. But the look doesn’t leave her eyes. Penelope wishes she could look away. “Penelope, of course I—if you have a problem I can help. My dad—”

Penelope shakes her head, trying desperately to swallow the petals in her throat.

“I know something is going on. Just tell me how I can help,” she tries again, hurt the only thing in her eyes now. Penelope feels like crying. “ _Please._ ”

_Tell me you love me. Love me. Fight for me._

Penelope wants to blurt it all out, but she can’t. She’s not going to burden Josie with this. She can’t. _She won’t_.

“You can’t.”

And with that Penelope rushes out of the room, making it only to the hall before petals are falling out of her mouth. She hears the distant sound of glass breaking and winces before practically running back to her room.

//

“Penelope, you don’t have much time left. Just tell her,” MG’s exasperated and pleading, as Penelope vomits into the trashcan.

Penelope looks up for a few seconds, smiling pitifully. “You know I can’t do that.”

“Yes, we get that you don’t want to burden her or whatever, but we need to stop this,” Hope says angrily, after Penelope’s coughing fit stops. “And she deserves to know.”

“We’ve already been through this,” Penelope sighs. She’s weak, her throat feels numb and she’s just really tired. She's already made peace with her situation, why can't they?

“Penelope, she deserves to be able to say goodbye,” Hope insists, almost desperate.

Penelope closes her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. She knows what they’re saying is right and if the roles were reversed—there’s no fucking chance, but _if_ —Penelope would like to be able to say goodbye too.

She sighs again, knowing what she has to do.

//

She finds Josie in the library, reading a book for a class that Penelope has probably already failed with how many times she’s been absent.

“Hey, JoJo,” Penelope says, cautiously walking up to Josie. “You have a minute?”

Josie looks up, a frown forming as soon as her eyes settle on her. “Whatever it is, Penelope, I’m not really in the mood.”

“I—um—this is actually about what happened in the kitchen a few days ago,” Penelope says, taking a seat across from Josie.

That makes Josie raise a curious eyebrow. “Are you finally going to tell what’s been going on?” Penelope nods, biting her lip, already used to the feeling of petals starting to come up her throat. Josie sighs, closing her book and sitting back in her chair. “I’m listening.”

“I’m—”

“Josie!” Lizzie calling out for her sister interrupts her and Penelope can’t help but roll her eyes with sigh.

 _Of course_.

They both turn to look at Lizzie walking up to their table, looking like a petulant child. Her expression changes, however, the moment she lays eyes on Penelope.

“You’ve looked better,” she says, eying her with slight disgust.

And okay, that’s fair. She has looked better. And if she wasn’t so emotionally and physically exhausted, she might have countered something other than, “Nice seeing you too, Lizzie.”

But she just doesn’t have the energy to fight anymore.

Lizzie rolls her eyes and Josie sighs.

“I need your help with something,” Lizzie says to Josie, already talking her hand intent on dragging her away.

“Lizzie, I’m in the middle—”

“Satan can wait.” _No, no she can’t,_ Penelope thinks. “It’s urgent, Josie.”

Josie turns to look at Penelope with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry—"

Penelope resists the urge to laugh. It was stupid of her to think that for once they could’ve had an honest, normal conversation without Lizzie ruining it, but if they didn’t get to do it when they were dating, it was less likely for them to do it when they are broken up and Josie doesn’t love her anymore.

She lets out a defeated sigh, swallowing those damn petals. “It’s fine, nothing I’m not already used to.”

A flash of hurt passes through Josie’s eyes and Penelope tries not to feel too guilty.

“I’ll come find you later.”

Penelope shakes her head. “Don’t bother,” she says, before getting up and walking out of the library.

Well, at least Hope can’t say Penelope didn’t try.

//

The school’s attacked two days later, meaning that the Avenger Squad is needed for the first time in weeks. Hope appears at her door and Penelope doesn’t know if she’s there to protect her or ask for help.

But then she says, “What are you waiting for? We need you.”

Penelope puts on a worthy zombie fighting outfit and without another second thought breaks into run next to Hope. They end up in the forest where, once again, zombies—she’s not calling them walkers—are roaming around the cemetery.

“Just like old times, huh?”

Penelope turns around to see MG arrive with both Lizzie and Josie behind him. Her reply dies in a cough, and she decides to concentrate only on the fight.

The zombies aren’t going to be hard to kill— “You can’t kill something that’s already dead, Peez”, “Shut up, nerd”—especially now that they have extra help in the form of the Saltzman twins, wolf-boy and a few vamps.

They split up in pairs, Penelope teaming up with Hope.

“We’re still pretending they’re Lizzie Saltzman?” Hope asks, amusement in her voice.

“Definitely,” Penelope smirks.

They fight back to back and despite getting the job done, Penelope isn’t as accurate as last time—it takes her a few tries to kill just one zombie. She can feel Josie nearby and the petals threaten to spill out her throat at any moment, and air isn’t reaching her lungs properly despite the fact that they’re outdoors.

When the last zombie falls, Penelope falls along with it.

//

It’s the feeling of petals coming up her throat that wakes her up, Penelope barely manages to roll over and pukes all over the floor. Her blood covers the floor and scattered amongst it are yellow petals.

She’s really starting to hate that color.

Penelope’s chest feels like it’s on fire and she thinks she hears Hope’s voice calling to her, but it’s blurred.

In a blink of an eye there’s a hand on her back and another wiping her hair from her sweaty forehead. Penelope tries to look and maybe she’s losing her mind because it’s _Josie_. She’s here, tears in her eyes and Penelope wants to ask who made her sad.

She tries to say something, but more petals keep coming out.

“Why,” Josie chokes out. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Josie asks desperately.

“I didn’t tell anyone,” Penelope manages to say, and that’s true—Hope and MG found out on their own. “Didn’t want to. This is for me to bear.”

“No, this isn’t something you should have been bearing alone,” Josie says, fiercely, and her eyes are so brown. Penelope could look at them forever.

Penelope wishes she could do that, but she knows she won’t be able to. She knows what’s coming. It’s a miracle she lasted as long as she did.

Suddenly Lizzie appears in her line of vision and Penelope knows she actually is losing her damn mind because she actually looks worried for her.

“Josie, do something!” Hope screams at Josie.

Penelope closes her eyes. She feels the familiar feel of the petals against her tongue, and blood on her lips, but she can’t feel air reaching her lungs.

She’s _dying_.

She turns to look at Josie one more time. Maybe for the last time. She finds her looking at the petals on the floor with disbelief. The ones that are yellow.

Josie’s favorite color.

“Please, don’t leave me,” Josie whispers, turning her eyes back at Penelope. “I love you _so_ much. _Please_ , don’t go.”

Penelope takes a deep breath.

It feels like the first real breath of air she’s taken in ages.

**Author's Note:**

> writing fics for these two makes me very happy, so I hope that reading them does the same for you.
> 
> thanks for reading! let me know what you think!


End file.
